Just A Kiss
by mr. eames
Summary: --"That's all it was. Just a kiss." James/Remus. Challenge fic.


**Just A Kiss**

**A/N**: I couldn't resist this one. The pairing is just so rare. Another challenge fic, this one ought to be fun as well. Once more, only 20 minutes allotted to write this and none of this was chosen by me, all by generator. Strike that. This originally was going to be written in 20 minutes but the story was just begging to be written longer.  
**Pairing**: Remus Lupin/James Potter (I know, I know)  
**Location**: Dungeons  
**Element**: Water

"I'm sure I left it somewhere around here James," Remus Lupin said, worriedly looking through the Potions classroom. "I'm sorry to make you look, but Sirius and Peter are in remedial Transfiguration and I just can't go to Ancient Runes without my book."

James Potter grinned at the innocent, blushing face of his friend. Moony was all too cute when he was flustered. Something James wasn't afraid to admit. At least to himself. "Don't worry about it, Remus. Anything for a friend," he said, as he rummaged through the contents of someone's forgotten bag. It must have been a girl's since James saw his name scrawled on one of the books. In fact…

"Oi, is this Evans' stuff?" James asked, pointing at the bag with interest. After all, anything with his name on it must be of great interest. He leaned over, moving to pull the book out when the bag was snatched off the table. Looking up he saw Remus, the bag in his hand.

"Thanks, Prongs, it's mine," Remus replied. "Good, everything's in there, my book, essay, and there's the map. You should probably hold onto that, huh?" He held out the Marauder's Map, and James took it, a weird feeling in his stomach. Why, in Merlin's name, had his own name been on Remus Lupin's book? It was enough to make James' head explode.

"Wait, Remus," James said, as his friend began to leave the room. The light brown-haired boy turned with an inquisitive look, his eyebrows raised, expectant. "Er, I, well that is to say-" He had begun to make his way towards Remus, but suddenly the ground underfoot was slippery and James found himself falling backwards, smashing his head on the stone floor. "Oi," he mumbled, a throbbing pain starting in the back of his head.

The sudden infiltration of concern in Remus' voice was obvious. _And adorable_, James thought to himself while he attempted to sit up, listening to his friend's words. "Are you alright James? Oh, Merlin, oh, James, is that blood?" All the while James' eyes had been shut, and they burst open at the word 'blood.' He was shocked to see that Remus was leaning over him, his robes covered in whatever liquid substance had been spilled on the floor.

In fact, James was very aware now that Remus' entire frail body was over him. To the right of James there was, indeed, a small amount blood, but that was not at all what filled the fifteen-year-old Marauder's mind at that moment. "James are you alright?" Remus said, his voice a poster example for dismay, his eyes open wide and looking down at James with frantic distress.

There it is. That familiar string of thoughts that has been flittering through his mind since the summer. Usually he longed to see Sirius who was like a brother to him, and secondary, but not too far behind, his best friend Remus. Mostly his thoughts would consumed with a certain red-headed someone, but last summer had been terrifyingly different. James wasn't sure what it had been, but he was betting on the kiss at King's Cross station, that blushing little naive kiss that Remus had placed on James cheek before running off without another word. Maybe it was the way that the two had hugged. Sirius hadn't even held onto James that long because his parents were watching, disapproving as always. Peter…well, as if James would touch Peter for longer than a few seconds. Then it had just been Remus and James, the former teary eyed as always and the latter weirdly affected by his friend's display of affection.

Sure it was hard on all of them. Sirius had to go to Grimmauld Place which wasn't exactly a Christmas Party. No one knew much about Peter's family, but you had to guess it wasn't much of one. James really had it the best of all of them, and he always felt guilty. Poor Remus, subjected to nearly three months time without his Animagus friends to keep him company. With that sadness James had watched his best friend leave the station, trying to convince himself that the kiss had been just a friendly display of affection. That's all it was. Just a kiss. Right?

Yet it would not leave his head. For a moment it would be gone, while James was writing a post to Sirius. Then he would look to see the parchment he already had set out for his note to Remus and it would be back. Those nagging thoughts. _You know it wasn't just friendly, James. Oh, just look at you blush. Just like he was blushing after you two did that dirty little deed_. And James would chuck his quill at the mirror that his eyes had wandered too, and not look in it for the rest of the day.

Now these thoughts were at work once again as he sat up. Delightful things that make James (though he would never admit it) intensely happy to think about, but also awkward. And they always cause him to blush. A Potter man was never supposed to blush, he is supposed to be thoroughly confident and smile through everything. But Moony was so close and the thoughts were all too vivid. "James, you're blushing," Remus said. "Oh, dear, oh, the blood must be rushing to your face. The Hospital Wing. You need to go to-"

"Holy Hippogriffs, Moony, would you shut up?" James muttered. He never was one for subtlety. Out of nowhere (his body was taking control of itself, he swore!) he put his hand on Remus' shoulder, getting a look of 'what-in-the-bloody-hell-_are_-you-doing?' "You ought to have that look patented, really, I'm going to have to use it to pick up Evans sometime," James said, marveling at the sheer attractiveness of the boy that sat before him.

"Er, what look? Pick up Evans, why?" Remus stuttered out, a blush that could have passed for a sunburn growing steadily on his face. James was rather sure he knew exactly what the words meant, but simply wasn't sure if he had heard them right. By all accounts Remus had made the first move.

It was only fitting that James returned the favor. Moving forward James pulled Remus to him firmly and let their lips meet in a soft exchange. And, by all that was magical, was Moony a good kisser. He seemed to be expecting this, perhaps James had waited to long, maybe he had made it overbearingly obvious.

Obvious or not, Remus wasn't objecting one bit. In fact, he was the one who hungrily kissed James again and nearly forced him to the floor. "Whoa there, Moony, didn't know you had it in you," James said breathily, staring in wonder up at his friend who only grinned and leaned down again, granting James another kiss.

"Neither did I," he admitted, backing up, his face now flushed, nervousness setting in. "Sorry about that James, I don't know what got into me." James sat up once more and shook his head, moving closer, his hand grasped the gold and red striped tie that was tied so neatly, unlike his own, and pulled Remus towards him.

"Don't be sorry about that," James replied, his lips against Remus' tinted pink cheek. "In fact, this is the best thing to happen to me since the kiss you gave me at King's Cross. And that was only on the cheek."

"Prongs," Remus began, his voice was in a state of awe.

"Once again, Moony, don't talk, you're ruining this," James whispered as their lips met again.

A few feet away Remus' abandoned bag had spilled. Scribbled hurriedly on the back of his Ancient Runes book was the name 'James Potter' and around it a heart. The heart had been drawn by Lily Evans and James' name hadn't been added until quite some time after. If one had looked up to the ceiling they would have seen Peeves, silently congratulating himself for a job well done. After all, he had only wanted spilled all that water to get a few laughs at the two boys slipping all over. Instead he had fresh new story to tell everyone.

**A/N**: Oh dear. The poor boys. I had a hell of a time putting in slang for this, but there you are. Hope it's not too bad. Reviews are priceless. (:


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